The commercials show a seemingly magical transformation, wrinkles vanish and faces seem to shed their wear, and these changes are just an injection away thanks to Botox.
Dr. Leslie Baumann from the University of Miami says, "Botox is an excellent drug, millions of people have been treated with this
safely worldwide."
But Botox, and myobloc, its medical counterpart used for a variety of conditions, including tight neck muscles, are made from an all too real toxin called botulinum.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, from the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen says "Botulinium toxin is certainly one of the deadliest toxins out there.
Public Citizen found that 16 people died after injections with Botox or mybloc, four of them children under 18. The group analyzed nine years of doctor reports to the FDA and found some of the reactions were from unapproved use of the drug.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe adds, "Of the 16 deaths we know that at least one who was getting for cosmetic reasons. For others we don't know but cases we don't it was usually for spasm of neck."
The group wants Botox and myobloc bottles to carry a warning about a risk of hospitalization or death. But Dr. Leslie Baumann, who researched the safety of the botulinum toxin in clinical trials, says the drug is completely safe, as long as your doctor is well trained.
"You need to be very careful about what doctor you go to, make sure they are board certified. I've been safely using this on hundreds of patients for many years."
Botox has released a statement saying "There are no safety issues raised in the petition that are not already addressed in the labeling for Botox. Allergan takes its FDA mandated labeling obligations very seriously. The current label for Botox provided to physicians in the United States provides detailed information and appropriate guidance on the proper uses of Botox."
